A former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, on Tuesday, told the Federal High Court in Lagos that he was made to refund between N100 million and N200 million to the Federal Government under duress.
Obanikoro stated this while he was testifying before the court as the 12th prosecution witness in the trial of a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.
Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged N2.2 billion fraud.
The EFCC accused Fayose of taking N1.2 billion from a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, to prosecute his governorship election.
The defendants were also alleged to have on June 17, 2014, without going through financial institutions, received $5 million from Obanikoro.
But Fayose denied the allegations.
Obanikoro had, in his earlier testimony, told the court how he transported the cash in an aircraft and delivered it to Fayose in Ekiti State.
He told Justice Chukwujeku Aneke that N1.2 billion was deposited into the account of a company, Sylva McNamara, which was used to fund clandestine security operations aimed at preventing terrorists’ activities in Lagos State in two batches.
At the resumed trial on Tuesday, Obanikoro, while being cross-examined by the counsel for the second defendant, Olalekan Ojo, (SAN), told the court that during the investigation of the case, he was invited by the EFCC, grilled and forced to refund N100 million and N200 million under duress.
Obanikoro, who told the court that after various investigations, the EFCC exonerated him of any wrongdoing, added, “I was made to refund between N100 million and N200 million to the Federal Government under duress.
